Rugby World Cup

[Andy S]

After that debacle this morning (NZ time), there will be some serious repercussions with regard to the TMO and his role in the game.

Not just Kiwi but commentators from virtually all of the other WC countries have heavily criticised the participation of the TMO. The only ones that haven't happen to be English - English ref, English touch judges and English TMO!

Kolisi should have been given a straight red card for the head on head - he got a yellow. The idiot referee awards a penalty to SA, not picked up by the TMO, Pollard scores from it and when questioned by the ABs going back to the kick off, Barnes says "Yeah sorry guys, that was a mistake". WTF???

Kiwi try disallowed for a "knock on" and the game was taken back 90 metres for a "penalty advantage" to the ABs for a prior offence by the Boks. Some advantage!

The whole game was completely spoiled by the officials. It's not sour grapes, I congratulate SA on the win, they play the game a certain way, which, for them, is effective. I take my hat off to them.

 

[Brussels Bureaucrat]

Sorry, but they get to think and plan out their “plays” it’s all choreographed and written down on the quarterbacks wrist. Planned called plays, the epitome of “top down“ an americanism, like corporate America it’s all decided by one “manager” at the top. Not improvisation or creativity, just play by your “run book”. 30 )seconds of action and minutes of standing around, and the fact you have offensive and defense teams is just garbage.

That doesn't mean it's not simple, it means it's not spontaneous. As I said I don't particularly enjoy it, but there's no denying its complexity. For what it's worth I think it would be much more watchable if it was quicker and more off-the-cuff, but then I guess it would just be rugby league. No bad thing I guess!

 

[Daz]

After that debacle this morning (NZ time), there will be some serious repercussions with regard to the TMO and his role in the game.

Not just Kiwi but commentators from virtually all of the other WC countries have heavily criticised the participation of the TMO. The only ones that haven't happen to be English - English ref, English touch judges and English TMO!

Kolisi should have been given a straight red card for the head on head - he got a yellow. The idiot referee awards a penalty to SA, not picked up by the TMO, Pollard scores from it and when questioned by the ABs going back to the kick off, Barnes says "Yeah sorry guys, that was a mistake". WTF???

Kiwi try disallowed for a "knock on" and the game was taken back 90 metres for a "penalty advantage" to the ABs for a prior offence by the Boks. Some advantage!

The whole game was completely spoiled by the officials. It's not sour grapes, I congratulate SA on the win, they play the game a certain way, which, for them, is effective. I take my hat off to them.

Rugby is a game that is decided by the refs decisions. Way more than football could ever be. It’s crap.

 

[Sun Stonehouse]

Rugby Union, to give it it's full title, is a game decided by a set of rules that all participants should be aware of prior to entering the field of play. The referee is on the field to enforce the rules, simple as. He or she doesn't make up the rules as they go along. Obviously players will sometimes "attempt to interprete" the rules to their own benefit on various occasions throughout the match, but accept the decisions of the referee invariably without question, which makes a refreshing change from Association Football, to give it it's full title in case one of our" posties" should confuse the different football codes.

 

[Mat]

Kolisi should have been given a straight red card for the head on head - he got a yellow. The idiot referee awards a penalty to SA, not picked up by the TMO, Pollard scores from it and when questioned by the ABs going back to the kick off, Barnes says "Yeah sorry guys, that was a mistake". WTF???

I can only think it’s because Kolisi also contacts the shoulder, so not all the force went to the head. I don’t think Cane’s was a full red and pretty ruined the game. Savea was incorrectly penalised, I guess not a reviewable decision.

Kiwi try disallowed for a "knock on" and the game was taken back 90 metres for a "penalty advantage" to the ABs for a prior offence by the Boks. Some advantage!

NZ advantage was lost immediately as soon as they knocked on after SA penalty, harsh but the correct decision to come back to the first penalty.

TMO had an impact, and it always ruins a big game when there are red cards. NZ did have 2 kicks that could have won them the game though.

 

[Andy S]

I can only think it’s because Kolisi also contacts the shoulder, so not all the force went to the head. I don’t think Cane’s was a full red and pretty ruined the game. Savea was incorrectly penalised, I guess not a reviewable decision.


NZ advantage was lost immediately as soon as they knocked on after SA penalty, harsh but the correct decision to come back to the first penalty.

TMO had an impact, and it always ruins a big game when there are red cards. NZ did have 2 kicks that could have won them the game though.

I didn’t know, until this morning, that there were two more TMOs, sat in an office at Roland Garros, 17 kilometres away from the game.

They nit-picked throughout the game and were, apparently, constantly in Foley’s ear. It’s not been stated their nationalities but, of those available for the role, it was Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Australian.

I’ve played this game, a GREAT game, since I was 13, at Tavistock Comprehensive. I’ve played to a reasonable standard, including the police alongside Wade Dooley at 2nd Row.

It’s been stolen by the suits of World Rugby and one Bill Beaumont in particular.

 

[unhinched]

I congratulate SA on the win, they play the game a certain way, which, for them, is effective. I take my hat off to them.

I'm biassed, but I thought the Kolisi and Cane decisions were correct, not that I like the current rules anymore than I like the current handball rules in the box in football. . The panel on TV seemed to agree, inc the great Sean Fitzpatrick. I thought the Allblacks were absolutely fantastic in the second half under the circumstances.
As for playing the game a certain way - I'm not sure what that is - I saw them put 5 tries past the Allblacks at Twickenham at the end of August and inflict the biggest defeat on the Allblacks in their proud history.
SA have great flair as well as great strength, but weren't at their best towards the end of the tournament - playing Ireland, Scotland, France in France, England and the Allblacks over a month was one tough route, especially after losing Marx. The Allblacks also had a tough route of course.
The Rugby World, not least in England, seems to hate South Africa - a bit like Fergie's United - maybe envious of their unmatched hunger, desire and team spirit, in addition to a great squad.
'Lucky' , ' didn't deserve it .. again ' 'the refs favour them', ' dirty' , ' bad gamesmanship', etc etc - the fact is that they are top, top class and I can think of barely one player from any other team that would walk into the Springbok team at any position.
The fearlessness, skill and ferocity of the two 5'7" midgets Kolbe & de Klerk epitomises them.
As I said I am biassed .
Did you play with Paul Ackford or more locally Neil Thomson by any chance in police circles?

 

[Mat]

I didn’t know, until this morning, that there were two more TMOs, sat in an office at Roland Garros, 17 kilometres away from the game.

They nit-picked throughout the game and were, apparently, constantly in Foley’s ear. It’s not been stated their nationalities but, of those available for the role, it was Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Australian.

I’ve played this game, a GREAT game, since I was 13, at Tavistock Comprehensive. I’ve played to a reasonable standard, including the police alongside Wade Dooley at 2nd Row.

It’s been stolen by the suits of World Rugby and one Bill Beaumont in particular.

Oh, the game has changed a lot, not all of it for the better.

 

[Andy S]

I'm biassed, but I thought the Kolisi and Cane decisions were correct, not that I like the current rules anymore than I like the current handball rules in the box in football. . The panel on TV seemed to agree, inc the great Sean Fitzpatrick. I thought the Allblacks were absolutely fantastic in the second half under the circumstances.
As for playing the game a certain way - I'm not sure what that is - I saw them put 5 tries past the Allblacks at Twickenham at the end of August and inflict the biggest defeat on the Allblacks in their proud history.
SA have great flair as well as great strength, but weren't at their best towards the end of the tournament - playing Ireland, Scotland, France in France, England and the Allblacks over a month was one tough route, especially after losing Marx. The Allblacks also had a tough route of course.
The Rugby World, not least in England, seems to hate South Africa - a bit like Fergie's United - maybe envious of their unmatched hunger, desire and team spirit, in addition to a great squad.
'Lucky' , ' didn't deserve it .. again ' 'the refs favour them', ' dirty' , ' bad gamesmanship', etc etc - the fact is that they are top, top class and I can think of barely one player from any other team that would walk into the Springbok team at any position.
The fearlessness, skill and ferocity of the two 5'7" midgets Kolbe & de Klerk epitomises them.
As I said I am biassed .
Did you play with Paul Ackford or more locally Neil Thomson by any chance in police circles?

Then we'll have to agree to disagree on some of that then.

I didn't play with Paul Ackford, I was North West Counties (I was in Cumbria, Dooley was Lancashire). Was he Met or D & C? I never played against either.

I'm not a member of the Wayne Barnes Appreciation Society but the abuse and even death threats that he has received is waaaaaaay beyond the pale.

I'm also going to check up on the rules of the TMO and, in particular, how many phases he can go back to call an offence.

In a discussion today, with a local referee, he believes that the TMO can only go back TWO phases. If that's the case, Aaron Smith's try should never have been disputed. The call back was FIVE phases.

Anyway, World Rugby will never change. It's painted itself into a very tight corner that it can't escape from.